Open Arms
by MermaidMidna
Summary: Ah, Valentines Day: A time for romantic gestures that show the affection of the heart! That is, unless your boyfriend's name is Truman French, and you're stuck in a janitor's closet with the bane of your existence. Secret Cupid Gift for rw4life!


**AN: DN Secret Cupid Giveaway! For rw4life! I'm sorry you got matched up with me, considering I don't know how to make a video, nor do I have a youtube account, but I hope this is good enough! I tried to make it great for ya! Happy Valentine's Day!**

**PS: Casey's POV, some random Semily, and some Truman bashing. Takes place at a Valentine's Dance! And I didn't consider any of the unaired episodes for this either. Just thought you ought to know.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Life With Derek, but my plots are better than the people who do! Boom-Roasted! (JK, I'm not that good. lol) I don't own Journey either. Or Ivanhoe. They're too cool to be mine.**

Ah, Valentines Day: A time for love, chocolate, roses, and romantic gestures that show the affection of the heart! That is, unless your boyfriend's name is Truman French, and you're stuck in a janitor's closet with the bane of your existence. That's right. I was in a closet, at school, with Derek Venturi. On Valentine's Day none the less!

And where was my knight in shining armor? My noble Ivanhoe? As far as I was concerned, he was nonexistent. Of all the things Truman did to me, this was the lowest. The Truman Rating, the goosing, and the fake date didn't even _compare_ to my l_ovely _little Valentine's Day present.

I adjusted my position, banging on the door in a feeble attempt to get out of the closet. "Help. Please." I croaked out.

"Come on, Casey, like that's going to help!" Derek grabbed my arm and lowered it to my side, rolling his eyes.

"Don't touch me!" I hissed, yanking my arm out of his grip and pounding on the door again. "I want-" Bang. "To get-" BANG. "Of here!" BANG! I sighed, lowering my hand to my side and listening to the blasting music outside. Nobody would hear my cries for help.

"Trust me, I don't want to be here either." Derek took a bucket from the shelf and turned it over so he could sit on it. "The _least_ Trollman could have done was stick me in the closet with someone attractive!"

"Yeah, I was thinking the exact same thing!" I retorted, holding back the tears that I knew were coming. "Or at least someone with a decent IQ and personality!"

"Hey, I'm not the one who went out with a _troll_." Derek smirked. "Not only are they the stupidest creatures ever, but they are ugly as-"

"Shh, Derek!" I said, putting a hand over his mouth and pressing my ear to the door. "This is my favorite song!" Tears formed in my eyes thinking about how this song was supposed to be something special between Truman and me. I remembered sticking the slip of paper marked "Open Arms" into the music request box and being so anxious to dance to it at the Valentine's Dance with my… boyfriend. This was supposed to be _our_ song.

Derek took my hand with two fingers and dropped it as if it were a crab or something dangerous. He snuck up to the door and placed his head against it too. "Journey?" he questioned. "I didn't think you were cool enough to listen to this stuff."

"I have good taste in music!" I argued, turning my head towards Derek, accidentally letting a few tears slip down my face.

"Yeah righ-" Derek started, looking me in the eyes. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Are you… crying?" He asked, backing up a little as though my tears carried an infectious disease.

"No." I said, wiping away at my face hastily. "I just… imagined myself dancing to this song, and it was just perfect, and…"

Derek got up, letting out a big breath. I saw his arm extend to me, and he asked quickly, "You wanna dance?"

"What?" I asked, squinting my eyes at his hand. Derek was trying to do something _nice_ for me?

"Dance." he said. But I knew it wasn't a command; it was a simple question. I lifted my hand up slowly, placing it in his. My heart skipped a beat as I stood up, awkwardly placing my hands on his shoulders. I shivered as his hands traveled down the small of my back, resting above my hips lightly.

He didn't look at me, but the broom lying against the wall, rather. I was quite fortunate we didn't make eye contact though, because I knew I was blushing. It suddenly got really hot in that little closet. It must have been because of the close proximities we were in.

It wasn't like I had never danced with Derek before. I mean, we had gone on _television_ and danced for a contest, but that was choreographed and planned, and this… wasn't. I was reminded that Derek wasn't the best dancer as his foot came down upon mine. I winced a little, but I didn't let it phase me.

"Sorry." he muttered, staring down at the ground.

"It's okay." I said, letting out a small giggle. He looked up at me, bemused, wondering why on earth I would be laughing in this situation. "I just want to know how we even got ourselves into this situation in the first place." I smiled, answering his unasked question.

"Well, your boyfriend was a jerk, and told you he had a surprise for you in the closet, and then he pushed you in and ran off with another girl." Derek spit out, watching my face fall. "To make a long story short." he mumbled.

"I know why _I'm_ in here!" I pursed my lips. "I want to know how _you_ got involved in this mess! All I know is that one moment I was pushed into the closet, the next you were thrown in by Truman, he locked the door… and then said 'Happy Valentine's Day, Casey.' And then I heard him walk off laughing with another girl." I ground my teeth together, incredibly bitter at the fresh memory. When Truman had walked off, I was only concerned about getting out of the closet. Now, I was just plain _ticked off._

"First of all," said Derek angrily, gripping my back a little too hard, "I was fighting more than just _Troll_man. He got some of his little posse members to help him. And second of all, FYI, I got roped into this mess because of _you_ and your _horrible_ taste in men!"

"Me?" I asked, stepping back a little. "How is this _my_ fault?"

"Never mind." Derek said, shaking his head and backing away.

"Tell me, Derek!" I pleaded, gripping his shoulders. Our eyes met for a second before he looked away.

"I heard Truman talking about his little plan to ditch you so he could go with Lucy, okay? And so I decided to teach him a lesson. I realized you guys were missing from the dance floor, and I ran into the hallway but it was too late. He had already shoved you in the closet." Derek let it all out in one breath. I fixated my eyes on a fuzz on Derek's shirt, trying not to look him in the eyes. "I ran up to confront him, but apparently he had backup, just in case. And I was unprepared to fight more than one person so he wrestled me into the closet, locked it… And now here I am."

I tried to take in everything he told me. Derek had gone through that much, just to help me? _The_ Derek Venturi who put hair dye in my shampoo and stole the underwear out of my drawers, who gave me 'fond' nicknames like Klutzilla and Space-Case, and who loved to ruin my day?

"Thanks." I muttered. Derek shrugged, and I absentmindedly picked the fuzz off of his chest and then wrapped my arms around his neck. He stepped in closer and suddenly we were in a full-on embrace. Our first ever _mutual_ embrace… In a janitors closet. And then we both began to sway, neither of us realizing that the slow song had long ago changed to fast-beat club music. And neither of us cared.

The moment was absolutely faultless, everything I had imagined my perfect Valentine's dance to be and more. And even though Derek Venturi was certainly not part of my fantasies before, I wouldn't have changed my partner for the world. I placed my head on his shoulder and snuggled in even closer to him, letting his warmth and wonderful scent take me over.

Then we finally stopped swaying and pulled back to look at each other. Derek lowered his head and my heart beat wildly in my chest, anticipating what would come next. I was fully prepared to feel his warm lips on mine, ready to feel what I had never felt with any other guy-

BAM! I heard the door crash open, and Derek and I immediately broke apart. I ended up falling over a bucket onto my butt while Derek jumped into a shelf of cleaners, all of the bottles falling on his head. I gasped, but I barely had time to feel worried as Emily and Sam charged into the room.

Emily ran over to me, giving me her hand and helping me stand up. "Casey, Derek, we've been looking for you everywhere! I saw Truman walking out with Lucy! I'm so sorry-"

"It's okay, Emily, really." I said rubbing my smarting butt. But it really wasn't okay. She just interrupted what would have been the best moment of my life.

"Derek, are you okay?" asked Sam as Derek rubbed his head repeatedly.

"Yeah man, I'm cool." Derek lied.

"What were you doing on the floor, Casey?" asked Emily. I glanced at Derek, my eyes wide. He was the good liar, not me!

"Don't tell me…" said Sam suspiciously. I crossed my fingers behind my back.

"You guys were fighting again!?" Emily finished his sentence, and I let out a sigh of relief. I nodded my head vigorously. "Wow. You guys never let it rest, do you?"

"Nope." said Derek, smirking. "It's too much fun." I shot him a glare.

"Why were you even in here in the first place, Derek?" asked Sam. I secretly thanked God that the question wasn't directed at me.

"Well, I was out, you know, relieving myself, when I heard a commotion going on. I saw Truman shoving Casey in the closet and he realized I was a witness to his crime so he shoved me in too." Wow. He really was the master of lies.

"And you couldn't take that wimp?" asked Sam, raising one eyebrow. "You need to hit the gym, D." Derek rolled his eyes.

"Well, I'm just glad you're okay." said Emily. "Now that we're done rescuing you, can Sam and I go dance some more?"

"Sure." I said smiling as the couple left, linking arms. "Since when are they together?" I asked Derek when they were out of earshot.

He shrugged, obviously apathetic, and he made his way to the door. I stepped in front of him, grabbing his arm and kissing him on the cheek. "I don't have _that_ horrible taste in guys, do I?" I asked, a Derek-worthy smirk on my face.

"Dreadful." he whispered, taking my hand and leading me back into the closet and shutting the door.

_Lying beside you, here in the dark  
Feeling your heart beat with mine  
Softly you whisper, you're so sincere  
How could our live be so blind?  
_

_So now I come to you, with open arms  
Nothing to hide, believe what I say  
So here I am with open arms  
Hoping you'll see what your love means to me  
Open arms_

**THE END! I hope you liked it rw4life!!!!**


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